Pastries just might be a universal love when it comes to treats: think chouquettes in France, empanadas in Argentina, or cinnamon rolls in North America. For Germans (especially kids), a beloved pastry is the weckmänner or “bun men.” Shaped out of a sweet brioche dough (a yeasty bread with butter, eggs, milk and sugar) they come bare-handed or with a clay pipe or lollipop (or both!). While a pipe might seem random, weckmänner are enjoyed around St. Martin's Day (a Christian feast to commemorate the death and burial of the 4th century St Martin of Tours) or St. Nicholas' Day (a 4th-century bishop of Myra, and the patron saint of Russia and Greece), and it symbolises the bishop's crosier, or staff. Many children walk in parades, carrying homemade lanterns and singing carols, and those bun men – along with candy, tangerines and nuts – are given out as treats.

Here, Germany-based chef and recipe developer Jelena Lozo created a recipe for weckmänner that’s easy to handle and wonderfully fluffy, making it a great recipe to try out with kids, especially when it’s time to decorate. The dough is glazed with an egg wash, and raisins or blanched almonds are used for the faces and buttons, with a pipe or lollipop as a finishing touch. Baked in your pizza oven, they’re best enjoyed fresh – no lanterns or singing required!